Looking For Smile
Looking for Smile
Written by Ellen Tarlow
Illustrated by Lauren Stringer
Published by Beach Lane Books / Simon & Schuster, 2020
Buy this book at your favorite local bookstore or order it online via:
You can also order this book from Lauren’s favorite Twin Cities' bookshops, now offering online orders:
Watch a video on illustrating Looking for Smile at the Minnesota Children’s Book Festival 2020
Click here to download a “Feeling Card” activity guide!
Awards
Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Books of 2020
Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award Pre-K-K
Bank Street College Best Children’s Books 2021 edition
Reviews
“A tenderhearted, life-affirming exploration of the depressive cycle through simple language and a rich visual vocabulary…. Invaluable in this moment and beyond.”
-Kirkus (starred review)
“The lively cameos and half- and full-page spreads … mirror the story’s arc from sunny, upbeat activities to overcast and dark pictures as Bear seeks his lost companion. For children who experience the occasional gloomy day, this story will coax a smile to banish melancholy.” -Booklist
“This is a beautiful and satisfying story and Stringer’s illustrations perfectly capture Bear’s joy of good adventures, sweet honey, companionship, as well as the sadness of losing Smile. This is a book that will reward many readings.” -The Gazette
“Tarlow’s profound story doesn’t name Bear’s affliction directly, but children will relate to riding the ups and downs of everyday moods, which Stringer has expertly captured in the illustrations. In contrast to the colorful pages where Smile can be found, the pages with Bear’s Smile-less moments are rendered in shades of blue. This is a stunning and powerful book.” The Reading Chair, NAEYC